Self-inking hand-stamp.



A; J. PETERSON. SELF INKING HAND STAMP. APPLICATION FILED HARM, 1910.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

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ALFRED J. PETERSON, 0E GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

SELF-JNKING HAND-STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed March 14, 1910. Serial No. 549,166.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Inking Hand-Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has relation to that class of self-inking stamps which comprise a frame supporting an inking pad and a knob or handle adapted to be reciprocated with relation to said frame, whereby a reversible dieplate or the like, (depending upon the character of the stamp,) normally in contact with said pad, is reversed by the actuation of said handle in its downward movement and thereby caused to come in contact with the printing surface, and 'which die-plate is by the action of a spring returned to its normal position (in contact with said pad) instantly and forcibly upon releaselnent of the'knob. To this general class or type of stamps, belong name-stamps, daters, numberers, time-stamps, and so on in infinite variety. Such stamps soon become practically useless, primarily by reason of the constant contact of the die against the pad. The latter being of soft, compressible material, absorbent, but with little resiliency, hardens at such places where the contact occurs. The spring exerts such force that the impression of the die becomes permanent in the pad, and finally it will not take the ink at such places. Moreover, the force exerted by the spring tends to soon spread or flat the faces of the type, causing them to become non-resilient, dead and imperfect, and the impression printed thereby blurred and indistinct.

Heretofore means has been provided for locking the die out of contact with the pad while the latter was being inked. Inasmuch as inking occurred only at long intervals, such means, consisting generally of a dog or detent on the stationary frame adapted to engage a notch on the reciprocatory frame, became diflicult to operate owing to the collection of dirt and of rust accumulating between said dog and reciprocatory frame.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an intermediate stop or look for devices of the character described, such stop comprising means which automatically locks the movable frame from rising movement, thus preventing contact of the die substantially constantly against the pad, but which means may be instantly released to permit such full upward movement as frequently as it becomes desirable or necessary to ink the die, it being possible, nevertheless, to actuate the latter downwardly while the stop or look is in operative position.

A further object is to provide means for holding the stop out of engagement, or in inoperative position, in order that the stamp may be used as heretofore when many im pressions are to be consecutively and rapidly made.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out.

Mechanism showing the structural features, arrangement, connection and mutual relationship of the parts constituting my improvement, and a hand-stamp in which said parts are incorporated, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation, showing my improvements as freed from engagement wlth the stamp proper, and the lockinglever in inoperative position, the movable frame being fully extended with relation to the stationary frame; Fig. 2, a similar view, showing the parts in the contrary extreme positions, and the locking-lever in operative position; Fig. 3, a similar View, showing the parts as held in intermediate position and the locking lever released; Fig. 4, a front elevation, the parts in the same relative positlonsv as at Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a similar elevation, the parts being in the same relative positions as at Fig. 2, but the locking lever released; and Fig. 6, a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line 6-6 in Fig. 4:.

Like numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

2 denotes an inverted U-shaped station ary frame, of which 3 are the legs and 4 the festooned top plate carrying the ink pad 5. The legs are provided with the usual slots 6 and connectors 7. Projecting upwardly from the late 4 is a tubular standard 15 which recelves the resistance spring 14 and on which is guided the knob 9. The tapered frame-bars 10 pendent from the cross-bar 12 are connected by a shaft 11 and one of them is provided with a niche, 13.

16 indicates the platen or die-plate, provided at one of its ends with an upturned apertured car 17 and at its distant end with a projection 18 having an aperture, said apertures receiving the shaft 11. The projection is provided also with an oblong rectangular slot 19 which receives a wrist pin 20 projecting inwardly from a skeleton cam 21 pivoted to one of the supporting legs.

The parts hereinbefore referred to are those of a well known construction of stamp and need not be more fully herein described.

Pivoted at 22 to the depending portion of the top plate a is a locking-bar 23. Pivotally secured to one of the supporting legs is a lever 25 of the first order, its fulcrum being designated by 26 and its lower end being turned to provide a dog 27 adapted to engage the niche 13. A preferably flat spring 28 is suitably mounted in one end in a slit in the rear edge of the lever 25, its bent free portion taking against one of the framebars 10.

In operation, suppose the parts to be in the relative positions shown at Fig. 1 and it is dsirable to actuate the die. (The locking-bar, it will be noted, is in its free position and inoperative.) As the movable frame is depressed and the die reversed by the mechanism above recited, the lower end of the adjacent frame-bar 10 will contact the dog and the spring 28 will act to throw it rearwardly until the niche has been driven therebelow and the impression made, when, upon the spring 14: beginning to expand to return the movable frame and the parts carried thereby upwardly, the spring 28 will again act to drive the power arm of the lever forwardly and thereby throw the dog into engagement with the niche 13 to secure the upper frame in an intermediate position, in which position the die is free from contact with the pad and neither it nor the type-faces are liable to such injuries as were recited early herein. Moreover, while in this position the pad may be readily inked, as will be noted by reference to Figs. 3 and IVhen it becomes desirable to ink the die, (it being understood that the intermediate position is or may be termed a position of rest,) the operator may with his thumb draw upwardly upon the locking-bar, which, contacting the upper portion of the lever 25, will throw said portion forwardly and the dog out of engagement with said niche. The spring 28 will exert sufficient pressure to force the lever in operative frictional engagement with the locking-bar, which, so long as it is permitted to remain in the position last described, will permit the die to return to the inking position shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 6.

It will be clear from the foregoing that not only are the objections hereinbefore recited overcome, but also that the life and utility of both the die and the pad are pro longed; it is more eflicacious, its capacity is greater, it may be 'more readily inked, and much of the ink, heretofore wasted, will be conserved. It will be evident also that numerous changes may be made both in the details of construction and in the relative arrangement and disposition of the parts without departing materially from the essential spirit and scope of the invention. Also, the locking bar might be omitted, if desired.

I therefore claim, without sacrificing any advantages which may accrue from such changes, the following, to-wit 1. In combination, a stationary frame, a die-carrying frame reciprocable with rela tion thereto and provided with a niche, means for actuating the die-carrying frame in one direction, it being manually actuable in the other direction, springcontrolled means adapted for automatic engagement with said niche, and means for locking said spring-controlled means out of engagement therewith.

2. In combination, a stationary frame including an ink-pad, a die-carrying frame reciprocable with relation thereto and provided with a niche, means for actuating the die-carrying frame in one direction, it being manually actuable in the contrary direction, a spring-controlled lever including a dog, fulcrumed on the stationary frame and said dog adapted for engagement with said niche, and a locking-bar pivoted on the reciprocatory frame and adapted to lock said dog out of engagement with said niche.

3. In combination, a stationary frame including an ink-pad, a die-carrying frame reciprocable with relation thereto and provided with a niche, a die pivotally mounted in the last recited frame,means for tumbling said die to bring it into and out of engagement with said pad, means for actuating the die-carrying frame in one of its reciprocating movements, it being manually reciprocable in its contrary movement, a springcontrolled lever including-a dog, said lever fulcrumed on the stationary frame and said dog adapted for engagement with said niche, and a locking bar pivoted on the reciprocatory frame and adapted to lock said dog out of engagement with said niche.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I hereto subscribe my name.

ALFRED J. PETERSON.

In presence of A. M. JOHNSON, L. D. JOHNSON. 

